Changing the shape and color of keratinous fibers, in particular hair, represents an important area of modern cosmetics. To change the color of hair, a person skilled in the art knows of diverse dye systems, depending on the requirements for the dyeing. For permanent, intensive dyeing with favorable fastness properties and favorable gray coverage, oxidation dyes are commonly used. Such coloring agents customarily include oxidation dye precursors, so-called developer components and coupler components, which form the actual dyes with one another under the influence of oxidizing agents, e.g., hydrogen peroxide. Oxidation dyes are characterized by very long-lasting dyeing results.
When direct dyes are used, dyes which are already formed diffuse from the dye into the hair fiber. In comparison to oxidatively dyeing hair, the coloration obtained with direct dyes exhibits a lower durability and washes away faster. Coloration with direct dyes typically lasts on the hair for a period between 5 and 20 washes of the hair.
Within the scope of modern fashion trends, there is also the need for color effects that stay on the hair for a short period of time and can then be completely removed from the hair, without leaving any residue, by washing the hair. Direct dyes diffuse more or less intensely into the hair fibers and survive there through multiple hair washes; this class of dyes is therefore not suitable for residue-free removal of the color effect.
The use of color pigments for short-term changes to the color of hair is known. “Color pigments” are generally understood to mean insoluble color-imparting substances. These remain undissolved in the form of small particles in the dye formulation; the particles attach themselves to the hair fiber only from the outside. There, they remain until the next hair wash, and can be removed by shampooing without leaving a residue behind. Under the name “hair mascara,” a variety of products of this type are available on the market. Because the hair mascara can be removed by washing the hair, they are generally designed as “leave-on” products. For the user of a “leave-on” product, it is especially advantageous when he or she can also easily give a temporary shape to the hair while temporarily changing the color. Temporary shapes may entail, for example, designs such as curling, smoothing, back-combing, or form retention. Temporary shapes may be given, for example, through styling agents such as hair sprays, hair waxes, hair gels, hair fixative compositions, blow-drying, styling sprays, and the like. Temporary shaping may also be called hair styling or simply styling, and shaping agents may also be called styling agents.
Products that enable simultaneous changes to color and shape are already known from the prior art. For example, WO 9920230 A2 discloses hair mascara products that include pigments together with non-ionic polymers and high-melting waxes.
WO 2014146818 A1 discloses styling agents with pigments that are characterized by the presence of solid fatty alcohols and waxes.
The fat and wax components included in these products serve mostly to adjust to a certain drying time, through which the consumer experiences the feeling of dry hair and yet the mascara having been applied to the hair retains a residual moisture that keeps the hairstyle shapeable and combable.
Specifically with products that remain on the hair, however, there is often the problem that the hair is weighed down by the presence of the fatty components. Visually, this gives the impression of “greasy hair,” and the setting properties of these products are comparatively poor. There is therefore still room for improvement with combination products for changing color and styling.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a versatile hair mascara product that makes it possible to temporarily change the color of hair. It should be possible to manufacture the hair mascara so that the hair mascara can be applied by means of a sponge, with a brush, and even by spray application. The change in color should be easy to perform and proceed with little damage, and should be removable from the hair by a washing, without leaving residue behind. Until the time of the next hair wash, however, the product located on the hair should be extremely resistant to external influences, i.e., neither friction against textiles nor combing should cause visible loss of color or other such detachment of the product. At the same time, the hair that has been thus dyed should have a soft grip, should not be weighed down, should not feel hard or greasy, and also visually should not give the impression of greasy hair.
Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with this background of the invention.